Join Us For Prayer

I want to invite everyone out to be apart of tonight’s Generate Service, as well as this weekend’s services at Crossroads Christian Church. The Crossroads Kenya Team will be prayed for during each one of these services.

* Tonight June 27^th at 7:00pm at Generate

* Saturday June 30^th in the main sanctuary at 5:00pm

* Sunday July 1^st in the main sanctuary at 9:00 am, and 11:00 am

I would love for you to be apart of this prayer, as we are preparing to leave. This is going to be one of the most physically demanding trips the Kenya team has ever experienced. From the time we land in Kenya we are going to be on the go, everyday with serving his children out there & bringing the Light of Christ to as many people as we can. I can not wait to be apart of the many new things we are doing out in Kenya this year, and I can’t wait to see how God is going to Bless our team. My heart is exploding with excitement, and I cannot wait to return home.

If you are not able to come to any of these services, try catching it online at:

http://live.mediasocial.tv/crossroads

COUNT DOWN……11 MORE DAYS!!!

Letting God LEAD and DIRECT

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me in going to Kenya this year so far. Being a short-term missionary in Kenya is a gift that God has blessed me with. I am going to continue being obedient with His callings in going to Kenya. I look forward to and am so excited to serving in Kenya this year and for the years to follow. This year I was offered to co-lead the Kenya team. So far God has stretched me and He has taught me so many new things, and we haven't even left for Kenya yet. I am so excited to experience Him more, and to learn from this incredible opportunity in leadership. Since my first year going to Kenya in 2009, till now in 2012 my relationship with Him has grown tremendously and I have fallen so much more deeply in love with Him. Its amazing to look back and see how much I have grown from my first year going and only being a team member of 35, and to see 4 years later where God NOW has me. 

Some of the 2012 Team bonding , as we built a shanty for the Disabilities Camp we are serving at next weekend. 

I will continue to need your support and prayers. I'm still in need of fundraising $2,500 for this years trip. In ministering in Kenya in these ways is something you would like to continue partnering with me in, either in prayer, or financially supporting me. 

Here is how... 

FINANCIALLY 
MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION:

* Make checks Payable to: "Crossroads Christian Church"
* In the Memo portion of your check, please designate the country, "KENYA".
* DO NOT WRITE MY NAME ON THE CHECK.

My Address:
Jessica Luna
1028 Othello Lane
Corona, CA 92882

Email:
heartinkenya@gmail.com

PRAYER
" I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6


Here is what to pray for...


PREPARATIONS
- Spiritually, I want to start this journey right with God.
- Physically, that I will be healthy and ready to work. 
- Emotionally, that I will have clarity of mind, and be free of anxiety. 
WISDOM
- For the decisions that must be made by myself and others in leadership positions as well as all team members. 
RELATIONSHIPS
- Between missionaries, nationals, leaders, and team members. 
TEACHABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY
- For all involved.
MINISTRY
- That it is impacting, effective and for boldness in my witnessing.
RECEPTIVE HEARTS
- In those with whom I come in contact with.  


The Kenya 2012 Team will be leaving on July 8^th – July 21^st

Today....3 Years Ago....

Was when I started sponsoring my son Felix in Kenya. Here is a video I made of our times we have shared together. <3 

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Felix

I absolutely LOVE when I receive cards in the mail from Felix. 

I received an updated picture of him, a Christmas Card, and a Christmas picture that he colored for me. 

I wanted to share this with all of you. <3

Here are the Christmas cards I got from Felix in 2009 & 2010. 

I love to see the improvement in his coloring over the last two years, I am very proud of him and how much he has succeeded, and improved in school. 

Home From Kenya

Jambo (Hello) Family & Friends,

I returned home from Kenya on August 11^th. Coming home this year, wasn’t easy. This year in Kenya my eyes were open to so much more out there, and how real everything is, including loosing someone so special and precious to me. Despite this hardship I’ve never experienced before, my heart is exploding with joy thinking of the ways He has blessed me this year by serving in Kenya. God HAS and IS doing mind blowing things in Kenya right now!

The first day we went to Kiamiko to see our sponsored kids. I was so excited to see Felix! I brought him some gifts, as well as some gifts for his baby sister Faith. She was going to be 1 this year.  When I saw him walk out of his classroom, I couldn’t believe how big he was getting. This year I got a letter from him, saying that he got glasses because he couldn’t see the board very well.  Well when I saw him, the little glasses he had on were the most adorable things ever. He looked like a little man. It has been a blessing to see him grow up. I met him when he was 4 years old and now he is 6! My little boy is growing up so fast.  

A translator, Felix and I sat down together and I asked him how his family was doing. He said his family is doing fine. I asked him, “how is Faith? I brought her some gifts.” He just sat there really quiet. I said, “ I bet she is so big now.  I know you have been such a big brother to her.” He looked at me and said, “ She’s dead.” My heart suck and I didn’t believe the words he said. I looked at the translator and asked her to please ask him what does he mean. He looked at me again and said, “ She’s dead, she’s dead.” I asked what happened, and Felix said, “she choked on milk.” My eyes filled up with tears, I had a knot in my throat and my hands were shaking. I didn’t want to ruin our time together, so I tried to put that in the back of my head but it was hard. I gave the bag I had for Faith to my roommate and told her to put it on the bus. I gave him all the gifts I brought for him and he loved them all so very much. He always gets so overwhelmed by the gifts, and I understand that, because those are the only things he gets every year. Imaging never getting any new clothes, toothbrushes, blankets, and even toys for a whole year. I look forward to blessing Felix and his family every year I have gone, to give them these special things.

Felix's Beautiful Mother Naomi 

This year I was blessed to have the opportunity to go with Pastor Mike Long and the Global Outreach Director Lisa Mitchenson and fly into the Mara for a day and explore rural areas in Maasai Mara and to check out the Over Flow Project through the organization CMF. The overflow project is where they build water wells, in rural areas such as the Mara, the slums of Nairobi and Turkana. These are areas in where they do not have clean water. This experience was so eye opening, just as it was my first time walking through the slums again in Mathare Valley. We visited schools and saw the need for fresh water. What broke my heart was walking down to the river where children from the school wash their clothes, with the only water they have. At first it didn’t seem real, because how could children like this be washing their clothes in such filthy water that was filled with mildew, mosquitoes, and bugs.

It then hit me when a young girl walked up to me and asked if I was there to bring fresh clean water to them. How many times in life do we take for granted clean water? It is all around us, whenever we want it. The head teacher at that school has said that many of the kids have died because of all the bacteria and germs that are on their clothes from washing in that river. They are always itchy, and scratching themselves, and this is because that water is all they have. During the time we were there in the Mara, there was an actual well being dug and planted. I was able to experience the blessing of water shooting 330 feet up from the ground. As I watched the faces of the people and the children in the community when the fresh water was coming up out of the ground changed the way I feel about water for the rest of my life. It was as if they struck oil for the first time, this water is so precious to the families out there. I enjoyed being apart of this with the children and families who will soon benefit from this amazing blessing…..CLEAN WATER! It was such a blessing, yet so hard to watch this but God showed me of how much work needs to be done out in the rural areas. Please help me pray for this huge need in Kenya!

After coming back and joining with my team again, we started VBS that next day in Kiamiko. Getting off the bus, the children were so happy to see us. This year I was blessed to lead out VBS. Everything went so smoothly, and the children were so blessing by us coming to do this for them. My team did such an incredible job in each of the rotations of VBS. Snacks, worship, puppet shows, crafts, games and medical. The medical team saw 1,038 children and adults, and because of your support and contributions to my trip you helped provide the medications for these children and families. This year during Bring In The Light we visited, shared Christ, and brought light into their homes to 26 people. Out of those 26 families, 19 accepted Christ and 9 were Muslim.

 CHILDREN THAT LIVE IN THE SLUMS OF MATHARE VALLEY

Thank you to everyone who helped sponsor me in going this year to Kenya. Being a short-term missionary in Kenya is a gift that God has blessed me with. I am going to continue being obedient with His callings in going to Kenya. I look forward and am so excited to serving in Kenya this next year and for years to follow. I will continue to need your support and prayers. In ministering in Kenya in these ways is something you would like to continue partnering with me in, either in prayer, financially or in any different way, please contact me. I would love to discuss my next trip with you. 

The Kenya 2012 Team will be leaving on July 8^th – July 21^st .

 

IN LOVING MEMORY OF FAITH

It was such a Blessing to meet you last year! Your mommy surprised me by showing me YOU!! You were the most gorgeous & beautiful little baby I have ever met! You even fell asleep in my arms when I was holding you. I was so excited to see you this year, hold you in my arms again and see how big you grew. I even brought you some big girl clothes, sandals, and a soft blanket. The day I went to go see your big brother at school, my heart broke into pieces when he told me that you choked on milk and that you were now with Jesus. Your mommy, daddy, Felix, and your mommy in America miss you more then you can imagine. I know I am being selfish but I still don't understand why He took you away. You were only 8 months old. I have been praying to Him everyday for comfort, and that in time He can show me why He took you away. I am jealous you get to meet Our King before I do, but I know He is taking good care of you up there! You will ALWAYS have a place in my heart little angel & I can't wait to see you again in heaven one day! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH FAITH!!

4/1/10-12/12/10

From Jess...

My Family and Friends back home,
It’s so great to be back in the place I call “home”! I was truly blessed to explore rural areas in Masai Mara with other members of our team. While some left for Joska, we traveled to the Mara where we looked at different locations of where they planted water projects to provide clean fresh water to the community. This whole experience was so eye opening, just as if it were my first time walking through the slums again in the Mathare Valley. It didn’t feel like it was real as I watched children washing their clothes with the only water they had in a dirty stream filled with mildew, mosquitoes and bugs. The need of water is so HUGE!! Currently there is a well being dug in the same community as the clinic, which will be used for both the clinic as well as the surrounding community. One of the highlights of the trip was being able to see them strike water 300 feet down where water shot up. It was an incredible moment. I enjoyed being apart of this with the children and families who will soon benefit from this amazing blessing. We also looked at some of the schools in the Mara. It was so hard to watch this but God showed me of how much work needs to be done out in the rural areas. Please pray for this huge need in Kenya!
Love & Blessing,
Jessica

Update from the Team

Today has been, to put it shortly, the most jaw-dropping inspiring day. We
started off our day with orientation at Pangoni where we spoke with some of the
leaders of the schools we will be visiting. After orientation and lunch we
split  into groups and were assigned social workers who took us on a walk
through the slums. Seeing the living conditions of these people was so hard but
the attitude the people have here could inspire anyone! These people are so full
of hope and joy and the purest form of love  for our God. I had the greatest
opportunity to be invited into a woman’s home where she shared a lot of her
story with us about the troubles she was going through, yet all she wanted from
us was prayer. It’s only the first day in Nairobi and this trip has already been
life changing. God is so good in the ways He shows us things and teaches us
things. Anything is possible with our God.

-Lauren

So, today was our first day out in Kenya. We had an amazing breakfast, then
headed to Pangani to see the school that’s being ran by Missions of Hope. We had
orientation with Mary, took a tour of the school, and got a chance to see some
of the skills classes that they offered. It was neat to see the women progress
with their sewing and how it provides for their family. Afterward, we walked
through the slums and everyone’s mood instantly changed due to the smell and the
conditions of the shanties. On the bright side, the kids  instantly lit up when
they saw us, and they had us take hundreds of photos with them. We got a chance
to see the inside of their home. It wasn’t very big but they all had so much
faith in God which was so inspiring. After we left the slums we went to Kiamaiko
to visit the kids in their schoolrooms and they sang worship songs to us. The
team’s emotions were going crazy. The kids were very grateful and were so
excited to see us. What was neat about today was their serving us with worship
songs and our smiles serving them, causing them to light up. Today was an
awesome day, and it was only day one. I can’t wait to see what else God has in
store for us on this trip.

- Bryce Blomberg (bruce smith).

Today we visited Pangani, which is the school through Missions of Hope
International. We got there early this morning and stayed to have lunch and a
tour of the school. We later got to walk through the slums, which was a crazy
hard experience for me. I have never seen or experienced anything like it — from
the crazy smells to the extreme poverty they live in. The kids there are such an
inspiration though because when they see us they just light up and want to know
how we are and to take a ton of pictures of them. They are so happy and the joy
on their faces is so amazing. We got to also go inside a woman named Jennifer’s
shanti. When we got inside there was water everywhere and I slipped into the
house almost taking out the door. But once we got in we got to see how she lives
everyday. She had three children and two of them are enrolled in the Missions of
Hope school. We got to pray for her that the Lord would provide for her family,
which was pretty amazing. Once coming back from the slums we then had the best
lunch and got to do some shopping. Later on we got to go to Kaimaiko, one of the
other schools, and that was amazing. When we pulled up to the gate the kids were
there singing to us and welcomed us with sparkly shiny necklaces. They then also
welcomed us with dancing and singing. We also took a tour of that school and the
kids are so sharp with their memory verses. They sang to us and said their
memory verses in every classroom. So amazing! To say the least it was an
emotional day but the Lord has definitely shown me to lean on him in the hard
times. Can’t wait to see what else the Lord has in store for us while we are
here.

-Tori Adams

And She's Off...

Hi Everyone!

I took Jessica to the church this morning (very early if you can tell) and as of now they are all on board and flying to Kenya!

Jessica was so excited and ready to go! 

Please keep her and her team in your prayers...

Pray for safety in their travels...

That they will all stay healthy...

and for the Lord's name be glorified as they love on the children and adults they get to be with!

My sister's heart was overjoyed to go back, thank you to everyone who has helped her be able to go and for all of your prayers.

Check back for updates from the team as I will be posting them as I get them myself.

Love,

Cassie

PRAYER FOR THE KENYA TEAM

Hello Friends and Family,

Well......I  am boarding a plane to KENYA in 6 days!! I am so excited that it is ALMOST HERE!! My heart is OVERFLOWING with JOY & EXCITEMENT!! 

This Sunday the 17th, Pastor Chuck will be praying for our whole Kenya team. This will be at all 3 services at Crossroads at 9:00 am, 11:00 am, and at 5:30pm. Please come out and support our team as the Crossroads church family will be praying for us. 

Please continue to check my blog for updates while I am gone. The team will be sending Blog updates on what we are doing during our time while in Kenya, and my amazing sister will be posting those on my blog. :-) 

Thank you so much for all your support & love! 

CROSSROADS KINDERGARTENERS

From the BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I wanted to say THANK YOU to ALL the Kindergarteners at Crossroads Christian School for helping me raise my HALF WAY MARK to go to Kenya this summer! God truly did bless me with all of your unconditional love, support and prayers!  

I'm so excited to be able to share with you all that I am able to do with your support and love. 

Thank you again! 

Love always,

Miss. Luna